Find it in Florence

Welcome to Historic Florence, in Fremont County, Southern Colorado

Part 6 of our Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado Love Your Parks Tour Road Trip Adventure.

We arrived in Florence, Colorado in the late afternoon of Monday, June 10. Our writer pal Eva Eldridge grew up here and wanted us to come visit her hometown and stay in her house that she has remodeled into a wonderful writer’s retreat.

Daylilies at Eva's

Talk about tranquility and a beautiful respite from the road. Her home is peaceful with scenic views that stretch out to Pikes Peak, blooming daylilies and a bounty of grapes and mulberries, visiting deer and horses, rockin’ robins and chattering finches, oh this is a special place for sure. It’s been a great spot for Nancy and Lisa to catch up on all of their magazine, radio and video work, and for us all to get some much needed R&R. 

Downtown Florence is a National Historic District and known as the Antique Capital of Colorado

Florence may make headline news as home to the Supermax prison, along with neighboring Canon City being home to state prisons, but the sheer beauty of the region coupled with its small town charm should be the main focus of media attention. 

Florence is beautiful! 

Originally built as a railroad hub for trains hauling coal from nearby Rockvale and Coal Creek, Florence made history in 1862 as the first oil center west of the Mississippi. Today the downtown is a National Historic District that’s made a name for itself as the Antique Capital of Colorado.

You really can find almost anything at the Florence Consignment Corner!

Along with its wonderful collection of art galleries and antique, consignment and boutique shops, the downtown has a good selection of restaurants, a brewery, an art and cultural center, museum, historic theatre, bowling alley, and parks. From cute railroad homes to ornate Victorian buildings, it’s fun to walk the downtown district and tree-lined neighborhoods to see the architecture and flower-filled gardens. 

The Bell Tower Cultural Center is a must-visit for art and flower power in Florence

Florence has some great riverfront parks and trails to explore, as does nearby Canon City and Penrose. We’ve gone to Pathfinder Park, named after explorer John C. Fremont, for quite a few morning walks along the Arkansas River. That river is flowing pretty fast, and is a popular rafting and surfing…yes surfing…waterway. 

Pathfinder Park is named after explorer, soldier and politician John C. Fremont

We’ve also visited  Florence River Park which is popular for river surfing, and beautiful Florence Mountain Park that's just south of town and straddles the San Isabel National Forest. What a beautiful hiking destination!

Florence Mountain Park is breathtaking! 

Other nearby parks we have explored include the Arkansas Riverwalk at John Griffin Regional Park in Canon City, and at Brush Hollow Reservoir in Penrose.

Rafting fun on the Arkansas River

These parks are big on beauty with the rushing river and water areas, rugged cliffs and mountain views, cool trees for shade, all kinds of birds and wildflowers, and plenty of deer. I even spotted my first skunk one morning!

Brush Hollow Reservoir 

Other Florence highlights we have experienced included a visit to view the art and sculptures at the Bell Tower Cultural Center, as well as some of the shops like Owl Apothecary, Florence  Consignment Corner, and Worldwide Treasures. We popped in to see Florence Brewing Company but need to go back when it’s not too early for a tasting. …I’ve heard you can enjoy a brew while getting your hair cut at the barber shop nextdoor!

Worldwide Treasures

The town’s motto is “Find it in Florence,” and I think that once you get here, you’ll find a whole bunch of experiences to enjoy as well as some lovely treasures in the downtown shops. Be sure to stop by the Florence of Chamber of Commerce office for some local info, they’re super friendly over there, just like everyone we’ve met in Florence!

See our new video "Discover Florence, Colorado" on YouTube.com. 

Peekaboo!

We can’t wait to come back and spend some quality time in the shops, parks and restaurants. And, we still need to experience the historic Rialto Theatre, and regional attractions like the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park and Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. So much to do, so little time!

A big thank you goes to our friend Eva for making us feel so at home in her writer’s retreat. Her design and home remodeling skills are second to none…we all think she should have her own HGTV show!

Next week I’ll give you the scoop on Santa Fe, ‘The City Different.”  For now it’s back to that mulberry tree before the birds get today’s harvest!

Miss P.